To run or not to run?

[madviper82]

I’ve just ordered R3100 Flying Scotsman in wartime black from ebay.

It’s at least eight years old and has apparently spent that time in an attic boxed away. It has never been run.

Do I preserve it’s mint condition and shiny polished wheels or run it and fulfil its destiny as an enjoyable plaything?

——————————————————

Thank you all for your opinions, they are quite conclusive.

I will be running the loco. Just wanted to make sure I wasn’t making a mistake by using something thats still mint, and has a low production number.

Never going to sell it, so resale is someone else’s problem!

——————————————————-Running in.

[ColinB]

I must admit I would run it. I have bought many second hand locos that appear to be in pristine condition and never run. Unless you are a collector and hope in a couple of years time to sell it at a profit, then there is no point.Generally though prices don't always increase that much anyway. I just sold a load of my 1980s/1990s locos most in pristine condition as I never got round to running them, I now run DCC so I replaced them with newer versions. I generally got what I paid for them all those years ago. Run them and enjoy them.

[Bulleidboy]

I'm the opposite of ColinB - I would leave it in its box. You obviously bought (won?) this loco, so you must have wanted it, so you might as well run it. I was a collector before I built a layout, but I did not collect with "investment" in mind. I have a large collection of Hornby Merchant Navy Class, almost all of which I bought new. When introduced in 2000 they cost about seventy pounds, now on eBay they sell for upwards of one hundred pounds, this does not concern me, but one day, my estate will have something to sell (get rid of!).

So run it and post a picture on the forum of it running - it's a nice looking loco.

[threelink]

It's the age old conundrum - investment or enjoyment. If bought as an investment it has to stay in its box in the hope that it will increase in value, which it may or may not do. If bought for enjoyment it has to be used, thereby reducing whatever investment value it may have. It's a personal choice. I sidestep the whole investment v enjoyment issue by only buying broken stuff and second hand tat which I cobble into complete locos and rolling stock. It costs next to nothing and the finished items are worth next to nothing

[Luminaire]

Unless it’s a particularly special loco, with a reason collectors would value it, I always feel like running them is part of fulfilling their purpose (ridiculously sentimental I know).

But I don’t own many locos and each one has a story behind it (usually ‘this is the cheap on I bought on ebay and spent hours making less rubbish, and this is the expensive new one I bought because that one annoyed me so much’)

[sir john]

Many years ago I purchased the first edition of Bachmann 's dwight d Eisenhower a limited run of 250 I brought it pre owned never run for £450 pounds kept it in its box never ran it sold it last year on that site in auction got £130 for it lesson learned run it it's what their for

Regards John

[threelink]

@sirJohn

Ouch. At least buying junk to cobble into locos and stock does not involve such losses and once in a blue moon it can work the other way. I paid £12.99 for a filthy, apparently damaged Trix Twin Britannia sold as a spares donor at a stall on an heritage line. It required no more than a good clean and a bit of sorting out to run perfectly. It was pristine under the muck, undamaged and very little used. Incredibly, I've just been offered £65.00 for it. Your unfortunate experience reinforces my view that toy - sorry, model - trains are generally intended for use, not as an investment.

[atom3624]

I've been looking at the black FS for a while - tossing the coin.

I like the idea of it unblinkered with the double chimney.

Personally, I always run whatever I purchase - cannot have a dust collector - bit like buying a Ferrari and never even firing it up - I'd be 'ragging' it everywhere - within the speed limit of course .... !!

What you do with it is your call. I CANNOT not use a locomotive - no discussion.

Al.

[sir john]

@ threelink

I didn't buy it as an investment originally but to run but I had just started to use dcc being a split chassis and given the original cost of the loco I decided not to butcher it to run on dcc but keep it and sell it later we live and learn anything I buy now gets run

[Tony57]

Hi

Just looked the R number up in my Ramsey R3100 is a Limited edition available from NRM only 500 made - doubt it will rise much in value as so many would be stored in collections or speculators sitting on them hopping to make a fast buck.

If it was mine I would run it very so often to stop it from getting stiff

[Fazy]

I’d say just run it, i run all of mine except my new City of Leicester which needs a Dcc chip and is not in my normal modelling period. However I can’t see the point of her sitting inside 3 boxes where yes it’s safe but I can’t see it. so a chip will be ordered and she will be able to be run when the mood takes.

[JJ73]

You could do both - keep it in display in it's box when your not using it - but when you do want to use it - take it out of the box - use it & enjoy it - even make a video about it, trghen when finished put it back in it's box for display!!! 😉🚂🚂🚂

[JJ73]

Also I have a Mallard with Gold plated Wheels - which I have used quite a few times - but it say - the gold plated wheels will fade after a while, if being used - I don't mind - it is there to be both displayed & used when I want to!!! 🙂🚂🚂🚂

[ModelerXYZ]

Run it. That's what model trains are designed for after all.

[The son of Triangman]

I would run it, that's what it's made for. It never ran like this in LNER days, the loco is in what is know as Preservation Black livery rather than wartime. The loco never carried a double chimney in LNER service and definately not in wartime. Run it and enjoy it.